The richest of welcomes, the most generous of hospitality, and the warmest friendships...
The most beautiful 'Narnia' above the alpine slopes in Ricky, CZE
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Narnia in CZE
The richest of welcomes, the most generous of hospitality, and the warmest friendships...
The most beautiful 'Narnia' above the alpine slopes in Ricky, CZE
Friday, 25 January 2013
Ski Friends 2013 - CZE
Ricky, CZE, with Jaroslav & Radka Kristek, Janez & Tatjana Dekleva, Jaroslav Kuchta, Tomas, Oh, and Janez again with me!
Monday, 7 January 2013
Zagreb - The Snow Queen Trophy 2013
Zagreb - The Snow Queen Trophy 2013
By invitation of the Croatian Ski Federation, and thanks to Vedran Pavlek in particular, a spectacular escape from reality for two and a half days!Arrival at the Zagreb Westin Hotel, accommodation centre for all teams, all guests and a whole lot more...
A quick walk around Zagreb to get my bearings, and then straight in to the Team Captains' meeting, chaired by Vedran, with Gunter Hujara at his side. Then a brief team doctors' briefing.
A chauffered ride in to the centre, for drinks and canapes, followed by a walk down the VIP track (kids hanging over for autographs, wondering who the heck we were!) to right in front of the stage to watch the bib draw for the top 15 guys. Ivica Kostelic, Andre Myrer, Marcel Hirscher, Manfred Moelgg, Manfred Pranger, Mario Matt and Ted Ligety to name just a few.
Another drink, then dinner with some honoured guests. One table full of ski 'legends' - Tomba, Marc Girardelli, Christian Ghedina, Peter Muller, Nika Fleiss, Bojan Krizaj, Jure Kosir and more...
On my table, with Ana Marija, organisers of the Alpine 'Classics' - Strecko Medven (Chairman of the Big Five) and Boris from Kranjska Gora; Andri and Denise (St Moritz), three good guys (two Peters and a Wolfgang) from Kitzbuhel, the chief from Garmisch (Martin?), and Killian Albrecht (the only person other than me who was not the organiser of a major international event).
Our host? Vedran Pavlek
The menu?
Pasta with truffles
Mussels from Bosnia (seven years in the growing)
St Peter's fish (brought up from the depths, 500m+ below the surface)
Chocolate pudding, done three ways
Pretty darned exquisitely delicious!
And quite a lot of excellent wine.
Bed late, and up early for the 'Convoy'.
An extraordinary pageant - headed and tailed by police, with all junctions blocked off by police, and all traffic lights ignored - all team vehicles (maybe 60 or more), followed by three press buses (me sitting quietly in the second of these) heading to the summit of the Medvednica hill, Sljeme, just outside Zagreb. Up to the TV tower at the top of the hill, then all journalists (plus me) piling in to breakfast at the Tomislavov Dom.
Memories of the Vjeverica Trophy some 8 or 9 years ago in the cafe at the top, long before this particular World Cup event was dreamed of. Then a descent in the chair to the finish area, and to the VIP tent, reserved for Platinum card holders. Not so much food as a feast, and not so much water as champagne... We sat, we talked, we ate and we drank - and from time to time we went out to the stand to watch some of the most exciting skiing!!!
The 2013 Men's Slalom - Jens Biggmark SWE winning after run 1, with Hirscher AUT 'trailing' by a massive 0.01 of a sec. Kostelic CRO had the entire crowd on its feet, CRO flags by the hundred waving in spite of the damp weather - thrilled all by coming in 4th in the first run. The TV screens, the commentator, the flags, and the incredible noise of the crowd - just unbelievable! Dave Ryding sadly was one the those who came down after number 40 or so, who stood no chance. The snow was cutting up, and all but unskiable. He was in good company, Ted Ligety and Razzoli also DNFs.
Lunch, and more lunch, then the second run, and an amazing run by Marcel Hirscher gave him the title of 'Snow Queen' (they really need to sort that out!). He can certainly ski! Biggmark mucked up, came 27th. Myrer 2nd after a storming 2nd run, Mario Matt third. Kostelic finally in 8th place, disappointing for the crowd.
Then more food, more champagne...
And more ski racing.
This time the legends - Tomba (yes, the legendary Alberto!), Girardelli, Janica Kostelic, Thomas Sikora, Ana Jelusic, etc. Fun and noisy to watch, and won by Nika Fleiss, whose father I finally caught up with later in the evening. Reno had been working day and night for weeks to get the piste in good condition (he rather regretted taking a day off at Christmas!). Miha Dim was there, Marin Marusic, Vlasta Brasocevic, Dr Samoun, some very good friends.
And then my final meal this morning, Myrer, Biggmark and Ligety also opting for late breakfast.
It was an event and a half, a never-to-be forgotten blur of amazing experiences, and wonderful people, with some very special hospitality thrown in. Thanks to Vedran and CRO SKI !!
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Dr Jenny Shute, MBE
A Very Special Day at Windsor Castle - awarded MBE for services to British Skiing
Lunch with the family and Shirley, at the Greene Oak
Fun was had with my hat!!!
Sunday, 29 July 2012
The gentle art of dressage
An early start, a 7.15 rendezvous with Shirley at the London Eye pier, and a great Thames Clipper speedy trip down the Thames to Greenwich, passing under the Olympic ring bedecked Tower Bridge.
London spectacular for the Games, and nowhere more so than Greenwich Park. The arena spectacular, with astounding views over the Queen's House and East London. The sky typically British, scurrying clouds, bright blue skies behind, and some hot sunshine. Rain threatened as we left, but we enjoyed a beautiful day. We had great seats, centrally placed at the end where two of the three judges were lodged.
The horses were stunningly beautiful, the sport initially unintelligible. 37 horses and riders doing their best to follow the same test, and dance the same intricate steps. Eventually I became better at working out the good from the bad. The crowd well mannered, learning not to applaud when the horses came in, only when they left. Two Germans and our very own Mary King were leading the field on magnificently schooled animals at the end of day 1, the remainder of the field to compete tomorrow.
Shirley's picnic saved the day, as the food providers hadn't quite got it right, and the queues for food at lunchtime were 45 minutes long.
And then on to Hyde Park for the second treat of the day, a relaxing evening at TeamGB Clubhouse, VIP area for friends and families of the athletes, with Zan and Antonio (another special invitation from CBM). We had a drink or two, a splendid burger, and after meeting the Olympic mascot and watching some sport on a few of the many TV screens in the tented area were allowed into the Golden Circle for what would have been a Tom Jones concert but turned out (because he was ill) to be a Will Young concert instead. It was good.
London spectacular for the Games, and nowhere more so than Greenwich Park. The arena spectacular, with astounding views over the Queen's House and East London. The sky typically British, scurrying clouds, bright blue skies behind, and some hot sunshine. Rain threatened as we left, but we enjoyed a beautiful day. We had great seats, centrally placed at the end where two of the three judges were lodged.
The horses were stunningly beautiful, the sport initially unintelligible. 37 horses and riders doing their best to follow the same test, and dance the same intricate steps. Eventually I became better at working out the good from the bad. The crowd well mannered, learning not to applaud when the horses came in, only when they left. Two Germans and our very own Mary King were leading the field on magnificently schooled animals at the end of day 1, the remainder of the field to compete tomorrow.
Shirley's picnic saved the day, as the food providers hadn't quite got it right, and the queues for food at lunchtime were 45 minutes long.
And then on to Hyde Park for the second treat of the day, a relaxing evening at TeamGB Clubhouse, VIP area for friends and families of the athletes, with Zan and Antonio (another special invitation from CBM). We had a drink or two, a splendid burger, and after meeting the Olympic mascot and watching some sport on a few of the many TV screens in the tented area were allowed into the Golden Circle for what would have been a Tom Jones concert but turned out (because he was ill) to be a Will Young concert instead. It was good.
An Olympic Lunch, London 2012
An invitation to lunch in the House of Lords, on the eve of the Opening Ceremony of London 2012, to celebrate the XXX Olympiad with friends of Lord Moynihan, all of whom, he said, had helped in some way to develop sport and make the event happen.
A guided tour of the houses of Parliament, then lunch in the Barry Room. Five tables, each decorated with a circle of flowers in the colours of the Olympic rings. Janez Kocijancic, Slovenian IOC Member and member of the FIS Council on my left, and on my right, Hugh Robertson, Minister of Sport. David Hemery on our table, also Sarah Lewis, sec general of FIS, and the IOC members for SUI and ROM, along with their wives. We dined on Scottish smoked salmon, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, followed by strawberries.
Talk was about the Opening Ceremony the following day...
The Minister acknowledged that he would be the man held responsible if the GBR athletes don't succeed at London 2012. Then a long chat with him about skiing, about the new BSS Constitution and about the Scots. Some fascinating insights into his ways of dealing with these things at EU committees! He listened, and I talked so much that I realised he'd eaten his entire main course and I'd taken barely a mouthful. I had to apologise for talking too much!
Colin's speech included an extraordinary mention of me, by name, in connection with BSS, very honoured indeed to be singled out. He also insisted on introducing me to all and sundry as 'Jenny Shute, recently honoured by Her Majesty the Queen'.
Sat afterwards with Sarah, David Hemery, Colin, and the Heads of British Rowing (Di) and British Canoeing (Albert Woods) and guesstimated the medals we will win!
I didn't want the day to end, so had coffee outside the House of Lords, watching the Thames go by, and then took a river cruise to Tower Bridge. London looking wonderful for the Olympics, Tower Bridge hung splendidly with the Olympic rings. I returned just in time to walk part way up Whitehall, queue for a very welcome beer, and watch the Olympic Torch pass by for the second time - last seen in Oxford 10 days earlier. This time I was closer, front row, and there was a changeover right in front of me. Wow. I can't explain the emotion, but it was huge.
London 2012 - bring it on!!!
A guided tour of the houses of Parliament, then lunch in the Barry Room. Five tables, each decorated with a circle of flowers in the colours of the Olympic rings. Janez Kocijancic, Slovenian IOC Member and member of the FIS Council on my left, and on my right, Hugh Robertson, Minister of Sport. David Hemery on our table, also Sarah Lewis, sec general of FIS, and the IOC members for SUI and ROM, along with their wives. We dined on Scottish smoked salmon, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, followed by strawberries.
Talk was about the Opening Ceremony the following day...
The Minister acknowledged that he would be the man held responsible if the GBR athletes don't succeed at London 2012. Then a long chat with him about skiing, about the new BSS Constitution and about the Scots. Some fascinating insights into his ways of dealing with these things at EU committees! He listened, and I talked so much that I realised he'd eaten his entire main course and I'd taken barely a mouthful. I had to apologise for talking too much!
Colin's speech included an extraordinary mention of me, by name, in connection with BSS, very honoured indeed to be singled out. He also insisted on introducing me to all and sundry as 'Jenny Shute, recently honoured by Her Majesty the Queen'.
Sat afterwards with Sarah, David Hemery, Colin, and the Heads of British Rowing (Di) and British Canoeing (Albert Woods) and guesstimated the medals we will win!
I didn't want the day to end, so had coffee outside the House of Lords, watching the Thames go by, and then took a river cruise to Tower Bridge. London looking wonderful for the Olympics, Tower Bridge hung splendidly with the Olympic rings. I returned just in time to walk part way up Whitehall, queue for a very welcome beer, and watch the Olympic Torch pass by for the second time - last seen in Oxford 10 days earlier. This time I was closer, front row, and there was a changeover right in front of me. Wow. I can't explain the emotion, but it was huge.
London 2012 - bring it on!!!
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